Meet the Woodworker: Charlie Kocourek

Meet Charlie Kocourek, winner of the “Best Furniture Making Blog” and “Best Cabinet Making Blog” categories in the 2016 WWGOA Blogger Awards! October 2016, WWGOA hosted a competition dedicated entirely to all those talented woodworkers out there who share their work with the blogosphere. We asked you to nominate and vote for your favorite bloggers, and now we’re thrilled to be able to announce the winners!

Charlie runs the Jack Bench Woodworking website and blog. The site gets its name from Charlie’s famous Jack Bench, a versatile and customizable workbench he’s designed for all types of woodworkers. In addition to his own website and blog, Charlie has also made an appearance on WWGOA. He has a great tutorial for flattening wood slabs with a router, which you can watch here.

We asked Charlie to share a little about himself, his blog, and his work so the WWGOA community can learn more about this talented woodworker. Read on.

Q: When did you first begin woodworking?

Charlie Kocourek: My first exposure to woodworking was working alongside my father on home improvement projects.

Q: Who taught you how to woodwork?

I gained confidence and familiarity with the equipment from my early experiences in junior high shop class and working with my father. Later I learned a lot about woodworking through my involvement with the Minnesota Woodworkers Guild. I have also been fortunate to be able study with some very high end woodworkers; Tom Caspar, Tom Schrunk, Mark Laub, Fred Cogelow, and Michael Fortune are a few that come to mind. In addition, I look for inspiration through books and magazines. Today, I look more and more toward online resources like YouTube and the WWGOA.

Q: What was your first project?

My first real woodworking project was a trestle style coffee table that I made in 7th grade shop class. I really enjoyed making that table and I was especially encouraged when I won an award for it. That really made an impact on me.

Q: What is your favorite type of project to make in the shop?

I enjoy working on things that are precise and decorative, like veneering and carving.

Q: What is your shop like?

I have a 400 square foot space in the basement of my home. It has two 220v circuits, two 20 amp 110v circuits, and a 9 foot ceiling. I managed to fit all the major power tools into that space: an industrial table saw, a 16” bandsaw, drum sander, two planers, a 6” jointer, router table, drill press, and a lathe. I have a dust collector that is hard piped to each of these. I also have an assortment of hand planes, routers, drills, chisels, and carving tools. One thing I especially like about my shop is that it has a sink!

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